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Is it permissible to wipe over your hijab when making wudu?

This is a point that I've heard both sides of in the past few years. When I became Muslim (almost 5 yrs ago, alhumdulilah!), I was taught by another sister that it is okay to wipe over your hijab, much like we do wipe over our socks- IF you have made wudu before putting them/it on in the morning.

When I started teaching a couple years ago at an Islamic school, one of the teachers brought to my attention that the girls were wiping over their hijabs, and said how it's not allowed. So I just gently reminded them to take off their hijabs when making wudu for prayer at school. But then the mother of one of the girls, who also happens to be the current principal (vice principal at the time), told me that I shouldn't have done that, because in fact it's allowed to wipe over hijabs out of necessity to make wudu go faster. I told her that I was taught that when I became Muslim, but another teacher had brought to my attention that it was incorrect.

As recently as a few months ago, this issue came up again just after one dhuhr prayer at school, when we were telling the children they can't wipe over socks if they didn't have wudu before putting them on, or if they were dirty from wearing several days, etc, and I made a comparison to making wudu over a hijab and then taking it off. One of the other teachers told me that she's pretty sure we can't wipe over our hijabs, but it is allowed to women with long hair to wipe over a braid, for example, instead of undoing her hair each time and redoing it.

So I'm really confused on this issue. Since it was brought up again in the past few months, I've been following the "take off the hijab for all wudu" guideline; something I didn't always do in the past. And really, it's the best way to make wudu anyway. But for clarification for the students, does anyone have hadith on this that is solid?

I'm mobile now but will answer in more detail once I get to my computer.
Different madhaahib have different rulings on this issue. Also if the wiping is allowed over the khimar ( head and face cover that has so many layers ) as opposed to the hijab which is only one. Those who allowed it ( the khimar ) based it on the wiping over the 'amaama ( turbin). I will inshaa Allah come back with more concrete evidence inshaa Allah.
Baaraka allahu feeki for teaching the young generations about our beautiful faith.
I leave you in the trusted care of Allah

Assalamu alaikum dear sister, I found the answer for you .. allowing for women in case of necessity, cold, or hardship to put the hijab back on.. .. here is a copy of the fatwa, hope it helps..

just a note though, it is from the obligations of wudu' to wipe "part" of the head, not the entire head ( entire head is sunnah). so if you can reach your hand under your hijab and wipe a bit, then that should be sufficient insha' Allah.. personally, when I am in a situation where it is difficult to take off my hijab for wudu' or too cold, I reach my hand in and wipe part of my head, then wipe over my hijab.. :) but that is MY Personal choice trying to get our of Khilaaf ( controversy), it is not a concrete ruling.. insha' Allah may HE the ALMIGHTY accept our deeds. ameen.

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It is permissible for a woman to wipe over her khimar (head cover) in the case of necessity, such as when it is very cold, or it is difficult to take off her hijab and put it back on.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: It is permissible for a woman to wipe over her khimaar?

He replied:

The well known view in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad is that she may wipe over her khimaar if it goes under her chin, because it was narrated that some of the womenfolk of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) did that.

Whatever the case, if there is some difficulty, either because the weather is cold or because it is difficult to take it off and put it on again, then there is nothing wrong with wiping in such cases, otherwise it is better not to do that. End quote.

Fataawa al-Tahaarah, p. 171

It says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (1/60): It is also valid for a woman to wipe over a khimaar that goes under the chin, because Umm Salamah used to wipe over her khimaar, as was mentioned by Ibn al-Mundhir. End quote.

So long as the khimaar covers the ears, it is sufficient to wipe over the khimaar and there is no need to put the hands under the khimaar to wipe them. Similarly, if a man is wearing a turban, he does not have to wipe his ear too, even if they are not covered; rather that is mustahabb only.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is also Sunnah to wipe whatever part of the head is uncovered, such as the forelock, the sides of the head and the ears.

Thanks for this information sister. I teach at a college and the bathrooms are directly across from the elevators. Once the bathroom doors are opened anyone can see who is standing by the sinks. I do have a question about shoes. I am at work for at least two salats, and I do not have much time between classes. Do I have to take my shoes off during wudu?

you dont' have to take off your shoes, but you have to wear them after wudu though, and then wipe on top of them, and you have to pray in them...

so, make your wudu in the morning, put on your socks and shoes, and you have up to five times to wipe on them ( five prayers, ie, one day and one night) but whatever you wipe on, you have to pray in , as taking them off will null your wudu'.

some people think that it is better NOT to pray in shoes, they dont' know that prophet Muhammad peace be upon him used to pray in his shoes sometimes for no reason except to make use of that concession. :)

isn't our faith wonderful? alhamdulilaah for all the concessions we are given to make our worships of our GREAT LORD easier. :)

if I speak in error then it is from me. may Allah forgive me and guide us all to what pleases HIM Ameen.. I leave you in the trusted care of Allah.

Quoting Francesca716:

ASA Sister,

Thanks for this information sister. I teach at a college and the bathrooms are directly across from the elevators. Once the bathroom doors are opened anyone can see who is standing by the sinks. I do have a question about shoes. I am at work for at least two salats, and I do not have much time between classes. Do I have to take my shoes off during wudu?

Thank you for the help. This issue has come up in another way in our community since this past weekend. We were at a Quran Competition for the children at one of the masjids, and after testing my friend's daughter (who was wearing nailpolish and had her hair in braids with beads on them), one of the brothers got on the mic to tell everyone about how we shouldn't be wearing nailpolish or making wudu over our hair in braids because the water can't get down all the way.

Now I know the trouble with nailpolish and encourage the my female students not to wear it, but being that they are still under the age of 10, some of their parents don't have a problem with it. That's its own issue.

However, the braids. From my understanding, it would be permissable for her to wipe over her braids for wudu? I understand maybe beads being an issue since they're not part of your body at all...but the braids confused me. Is this another case of one scholar says X and another scholar says Y?

Can anyone shed more light on this? Any African American sisters have experience with braids and beads that know about rulings to help my friend with her daughter as she's getting older (almost 9 now)?

I'm confused too at his remark.. for even in Ghusl ( washing after the period or intimate relations) prophet Muhammad peace be upon him allowed the women NOT to break the braids so long as the water got to the roots of the hair ( in ghusl, unlike wudu, water should get to every inch of your body.. and that is the scalp NOT the hair.. )

so, if we dont' have to unravel the braid for ghusl why would we have to do it for wudu?

I will try my best to find the relevant fatwa now if I am not called away ------ Alhamdulilaah, found it :

**********************************..

If a woman is in a state of janaabah and her hair is braided and long, and she takes a handful of water and makes it reach all of her head, does she have to wash all of her hair?.

Praise be to Allaah.

What is required when doing ghusl in the case of janaabah is to make the water reach all of the hair, even if it is long. At-Tirmidhi (106) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Under each hair is janaabah, so wash the hair and clean the skin.” And it was narrated from ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever leaves impurity the size of a hair and does not wash it, such and such will be done to him in the Fire because of it.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 217. These two hadeeths were classed as da‘eef (weak) by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him).

But the report in which these words are attributed to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is saheeh.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked (5/323):

Are the woman who has long hair that is not braided and the woman whose hair is braided regarded as the same in the case of ghusl for janaabah, or is it essential to wash the hair completely in either case?

They replied: The one who is in a state of janaabah and the one whose period has ended have to make water reach every part of the body and hair with the intention of purifying themselves, whether the hair is long or short, and whether it is braided or not braided. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible for her to wash the outer part of the hair only; rather it is essential that the water reach the roots of the hair and the skin of the head (scalp). But if the hair is braided, she does not have to undo it; rather she has to make the water reach every single hair by placing the braid under the water spout and squeezing it so that the water reaches all of the hair.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 11/163.

Islam Q&A

if I speak in error then it is from me . may Allah forgive me and guide us all to what pleases HIM . Ameen.

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